


Hallelujah

by sepsner



Category: South Park
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Marjorine Stotch - Freeform, be she trans or genderbend whatever, fem!Butters, meet cute, stutters, stutters week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 15:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16642985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sepsner/pseuds/sepsner
Summary: Marjorine likes singing hymns at Church, but there's someone distracting her.





	Hallelujah

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of NaNo and stutters week! May edit later :D

_O star brightly shining… o rose sweetly fragrant…  
  
_ Marjorine tried to focus on her lyrics sheet. She had sung these hymns a hundred times before, but she still didn’t know how the words went. Most of the time, she wasn’t paying attention to what the lyrics really said. Just like right now. Her father held the sheet between her and her mother, making the family all lean in to sing from it. Marjorine tried her best to follow along, but there was something in the corner of the room that kept stealing her attention.  
  
No, not something. Some _one_.  
  
A boy with black hair, who Marj had seen only a handful of times before. He sat at the piano, playing along with the hymn. It was better than the pre-recorded stuff, Marj figured. But the Father hadn’t introduced him - unless he had, but Marj wasn’t paying attention.  
  
 _In God, thou adorest in joyous love…  
  
_ After the service ended, Marjorine excused herself from her parents. They were a little confused - Marj didn’t have Church friends - but let her go.  
  
The black haired boy was still around, gathering his music sheets from the piano. Marj hesitantly came closer, her fingers tangling together. “Excuse me?”  
  
The boy looked over, and Marj’s heart fluttered. He was so cute, with a heart-shaped face and deep blue eyes. He was also, to Marj’s amusement, shorter than her. Not that it was hard - Marj’s gangly limbs had been a source of much upset for years now.  
  
“Can I help you?”  
  
Marj had been staring. Her face turning pink, she rubbed her knuckles together. “Um, I’ve not seen you very often, I’d like to, um… introduce myself.”  
  
“Oh.” The black haired boy looked away for a moment to slide the sheets into a folder, then looked back at Marj. “So?”  
  
“Oh!” Marj felt her face burning. Why was she so awful at this? “I’m Marjorine Stotch! I’m Stephen Stotch’s daughter.”  
  
The boy looked over Marj’s shoulder at where her parents were speaking to some other people still lingering, trying to herd them to the dining area next door for tea.  
  
“Right, Stephen Stotch.” He didn’t sound impressed. “I’m Stan Marsh.”  
  
Marj’s eyes widened. She never thought she could have a crush on anyone with an old man name like _Stan_ , but she was definitely smitten. “Are you staying for tea, Stan?” Just saying his name gave her tingles.  
  
“Uh,” Stan shifted nervously. “I’m not really religious, I dunno if I’d wanna stick around…”  
  
“You’re not?”  
  
“I mean, I went to Church and stuff as a kid, I just wanted to volunteer with music stuff and get some experience, you know?”  
  
Marj glanced at the piano. Okay, she had to admit, she was a little disappointed. If Stan was a good Catholic boy, maybe her parents would have let her date him. But so far… it seemed like that wasn’t happening.  
  
Except her parents didn’t know that Stan wasn’t _really_ religious.  
  
Her fingers tangled together again nervously. “Do you think you could, maybe, show me how you play?”  
  
Marj watched as Stan sucked his cheek. Her stomach flipped. He was going to say no, and she’d look like such an idiot…  
  
“Sure,” Stan shrugged. “No one else is around, so it doesn’t matter if I’m bad.”  
  
Marjorine perked up and looked around the Church. He was right, everyone else had left. It was just them. Marj’s heart started beating like crazy. It was her and a boy, alone. It’s still a Church, Marjorine told herself, nothing should happen! But that didn’t stop her from imagining what _could_ happen. His fingers brushing against hers as she played alongside him, moving closer, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in--  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
Marjorine jumped, her face burning a bright red. “I’m fine!” She yelped. “Just warm! I wanna watch you play!”  
  
Stan gave her a look that probably suggested worry, or he was just having regrets. But he still sat at the piano, running his fingers over the keys. Marj clenched her hands into fists, imagining that Stan was running those fingers gently over her skin, as if he was barely touching. As Stan depressed a key, the piano moaned out a note, and Marjorine shivered. Don’t get carried away…  
  
And then Stan pushed more keys, a chord, followed by another. His fingers moved fast along the piano, treating it like a familiar friend. He was by no means gentle, pressing hard and aggressive when he needed the emphasis, but reigning it back with soft touches - an apology to the ivory. Maybe Marjorine was just being romantic. Of course boys didn’t really think like that.  
  
It was hard _not_ to be romantic when your parents barely let you _talk_ to boys, let alone date them.  
  
“You’re wonderful,” Marjorine sighed, then quickly added, “at playing the piano.”  
  
“Thanks,” Stan mumbled back, glancing at her. “I’m kind of still learning, though. If instruments were languages, I’d be fluent with the guitar.”  
  
Marj’s eyes sparkled. “Really? That’s amazing. I wish I could play an instrument. All I can do is dance.”  
  
Stan stopped playing the piano and looked Marj over. Marjorine squirmed, grabbing at the skirt of her dress. Was she doing something weird?  
  
“You can dance,” Stan said, smiling up at her. “If you want. Let me play something more fun.”  
  
Stan turned back to the piano and started playing a faster, more upbeat tune. Marj recognised the tune, but this wasn’t the kind of music Marj would have heard in a Church - maybe at a wedding, or a festival. She couldn’t stop her lips from curling up into a smile, her foot tapping with the beat. Stan was oozing happiness, smiling as he played, and his hands bounced playfully across the keys. Marj couldn’t help herself. She swayed to the music, then started dancing along, her legs almost moving by themselves, just feeling the music… just feeling Stan’s music.  
  
Marjorine started singing before she realised what she was doing. Stan faltered with the keys, pulling Marj out of her haze. He coughed and fumbled, then went back to playing.  
  
“Keep going,” Stan urged her.  
  
Marjorine cleared her throat and carried on singing, dancing as she did. In her head, the two of them were travelling husband and wife performers, jumping from state to state in hopes of getting enough money for something to eat and enough gas to fill up their van. Maybe one day, they would hit it big, but it would mean nothing if they didn’t have each other.  
  
Stan hit the final note and Marjorine sat on a pew to catch her breath. She was smiling from ear to ear, almost certain her cheeks were going to rip apart. Her heart was light, almost floating on air. They had just done something beautiful together! Stan turned on the stool, face flushed, and said--  
  
“Marjorine!”  
  
Marj jumped at the sudden authoritative tone breaking into her sanctuary. She stood and turned quickly, hoping her face wasn’t too red or her dress too crumpled. “I’m sorry, sir!”  
  
“Your mother and I were worried sick, and you were here flirting with Stanley?”  
  
“I--!” Marjorine’s face burned. She’d be grounded if her dad thought she was being impure. “We weren’t flirting!”  
  
“Sorry, sir,” Stan’s voice pitched in behind her. She turned to watch him stand out of his stool. “I was just showing Marjorine how I play the piano. She was very interested in learning, maybe I could give her some lessons?”  
  
Marjorine was certain that her face couldn’t get any more red. They hadn’t agreed to that at all, but now Stan had suggested it, Marjorine desperately wanted it.  
  
Stephen crossed his arms and processed the offer. Marj prayed internally that he would say yes.  
  
“As long as an adult is supervising you both.”  
  
Marj could have jumped up and down in excitement. She turned back to Stan, her lips in a bright smile.  
  
“I’ll see you next weekend, then, Marjorine,” Stan smiled back at her. He finally gathered his things and stepped away from the piano.  
  
Marjorine watched him leave, and her eyes wandered. Just when she thought Stan couldn’t get any better… no! She shouldn’t be thinking about butts in a Church!  
  
Stephen uncrossed his arms and sighed, putting them on his hips instead. Marjorine glanced over, nervous as to what he might say. She was going to get grounded for sure.  
  
“Well,” Stephen sighed, “at least he’s a good Catholic.”  
  
Was that..? Marjorine gasped lightly. Stephen gave her a small smile before turning and heading to the exit.  
  
“Come on, Marjorine. Your mother’s waiting in the car.”  
  
Marjorine really _did_ jump up and down that time. Not only did Stan want to spend more time with her, her dad effectively gave him their blessing!  
  
 __Glory, glory, hallelujah!


End file.
